United Power to build Colorado’s largest battery-storage system

BRIGHTON — United Power, a Touchstone Energy cooperative, has announced plans to build its first commercial-scale energy-storage project.

The facility will be located in Firestone and be developed in collaboration with Chicago-based SoCore Energy, it said in a prepared statement.

At 4 megawatts/16 megawatt-hours, the battery-storage system will be the largest in the state.

Construction on the system is expected to begin in the first half of 2018.   

“As one of the fastest growing co-ops in Colorado, United Power wants to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to integrating new technology that can help boost reliability and keep costs down,” said John Parker, chief executive of United Power. “Energy storage will play an important role in the grid of the future, and we’re excited to be starting now.”

The facility will be located at United Power’s west office on Interstate 25, just south of Colorado Highway 119.

SoCore is a solar photovoltaic and energy-storage developer that focuses on serving rural-electric cooperatives, according to the cooperative’s statement. SoCore and United Power selected Tesla to supply the 4 MW/16 MWh powerpack system.

The system will store energy generated in the overnight hours, when demand is low, and discharge it during peak hours to reduce demand. Curbing peak demand will reduce costs and help improve the overall efficiency of United Power’s electric grid. United Power serves more than 82,000 members, according to the statement.

A megawatt-hour is a unit of measure of electric energy. A megawatt-hour is 1,000 kilowatt-hours. On an electric bill, electricity usage is commonly reported in kilowatt-hours.

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